Founded by parunRakdos, an ancient demon, the Cult of Rakdos attend to menial labor and the services industry, which includes some less-than-savory offerings, such as assassination, as well as more agreeable ones, such as the catering (i.e., food service) and entertainment industries.[4]

Members of the demon-worshipping guild are referred to as cultists.[4]

Like extreme utilitarians or hedonists, the Cult of Rakdos are a guild that places a premium on personal pleasure, or "fun", even if it cruelly causes pain and suffering to others and themselves.[5] Some of the crueler, more evil, and more sadistic members of the Cult directly and intentionally inflict pain on others.[6] Other than being a guild of miscreants, the Cult of Rakdos does have a civic function in Ravnican society per the Guildpact; some members work as manual laborers and even slaves.

Rakdos is the undisputed center of attention of the Cult when he is awake;[7] when the demon is hibernating, however, there is an acting guildmaster.[8] At the time of the Decamillennial, the acting guildmaster was the human sorceress Izolda (or Lyzolda).

Formally, the guild has no structure, and is not organized; however, members are affiliated with loose groups referred to as "rings", each of which is led by a ringmaster and with its own sphere of influence, commodities, and cult followers.[6]

At the time of the Decamillennial Celebration, the acting guildmaster, human bloodwitch Izolda, procured spinal fluid from a dragon, blood from Jarad, and blood from Jarad's son Myc to rouse Rakdos from his sleep. Rakdos awakened and wreaked havoc in the streets of Ravnica until the demon crossed the path of Project Kraj. After Project Kraj absorbed Rakdos into its body, sustaining injuries, the comatose Rakdos was thrown back into his lava pit, Rix Maadi, by the Boros angel Feather, uncertain of his return.[9]

Sensing her weakness after the defeat of their demonic guildmaster, Izolda's followers summarily devoured her alive.

In developing the identity of the Cult of Rakdos, Aaron Forsythe noted that the Cult of Rakdos revolves around the destruction of everything, with exception to enchantments, a permanent type that neither Black nor Red can deal with.[10] In addition to this, the guild was conceived as one that wanted to hastily play out its hand, and was willing to sacrifice creatures for beneficial effects for itself and detrimental ones for opponents.

On the combination of Black and Red, design team member and Head Magic Designer Mark Rosewater explained that the combination is the synthesis of Red's desire to do as it pleases; disregard for laws, morality, and order; and broad spectrum of emotions and Black's self-centered nature and selfishness.[11] These philosophies are translated into gameplay as aggression and removal.[12] That notwithstanding, Mark Rosewater has stated that, while the Cult of Rakdos certainly contains a vast number of "hedonists", particularly in card form, there are individuals that are comparably (more) civil. [13]

Hellbent is an ability word that is "on" if and when the controller of a card with Hellbent has no cards in his or her hand. Featured on permanent cards as well as non-permanent cards, Hellbent is coupled with an ability that confers an effect to permanents or non-permanent spells or improves or otherwise changes the effect(s) of permanents or non-permanent spells.

During Return to Ravnica development, one ability considered for the in-game Cult of Rakdos was Paincast, an ability that reduced the cost of spells for each point of life lost by an opponent during the current turn. According to Magic Head Designer Mark Rosewater, it was deemed that the ability created "warped game play";[14] and, a more combat-relevant ability, Unleash, replaced it.[15] A form of Paincast would appear on Rakdos, Lord of Riots, who can grant it to all creature cards you cast that turn.

Unleash represents two static abilities, consisting of one that allows the controller of a creature with Unleash to put a +1/+1 counter on it as it enters the battlefield and another that prohibits a creature with Unleash from blocking if it has at least one +1/+1 counter on it, regardless of the means by which it was put on the creature.

Prior to the official release of Return to Ravnica, Unleash received a poor or mixed reception from players, with some failing to appreciate its complexity and freedom of choice;[16] but, at the prerelease and upon release of the expansion, the mechanic gained more favor, particularly in the Limited format play.

Gamepedia

Tools

Content is available under CC BY-NC-SA 2.5 unless otherwise noted.Magic: The Gathering content and materials are trademarks and copyrights of Wizards of the Coast its licensors. All rights reserved. This site is a part of Curse, Inc. and is not affiliated with Wizards of the Coast.